Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Defence
  • /
  • Cornwall's Air Station stars in HMS Queen Elizabeth home port debut

Defence Events

Cornwall's Air Station stars in HMS Queen Elizabeth home port debut

Cornwall's Air Station, RNAS Culdrose this week helped to welcome Britain's future flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth into her home port of Portsmouth for the first time.



Above: 820 Merlins on the HMS Queen Elizabeth Carrier (QEC) flight deck.
Courtesy Royal Navy

As a key player in its future, RNAS Culdrose played a star role both in the official flypast but also on the flight deck of the new warship.

Thousands of people lining the Portsmouth seafront, overawed by the size of the 65,000-tonne carrier, were also wowed by the double fly past of Fleet Air Arm helicopters and jets, the majority of which were from the Helston based Air Station.

Advertisement
DSEI 2025

As a salute to the platform that they will fly from for the next 50 years, the current aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm, greeted HMS Queen Elizabeth as she moved into her official jetty.

Led by a Sea King aircraft from 849 Naval Air Squadron (NAS), Culdrose Merlin helicopters from 824 and 814 NAS followed and were also joined by Culdrose based Hawks from 736 NAS too. Merlin helicopters from sister Air Station RNAS Yeovilton also took part.

Secretary of State for Defence Sir Michael Fallon said: "Today we welcome our mighty new warship, HMS Queen Elizabeth to her home for the very first time.

“She is Britain's statement to the world: a demonstration of British military power and our commitment to a bigger global role. She has made good progress in sea trials and will now embark on the next phase of preparations that will see the return of Britain's carrier strike ability.

“When she enters service she will help keep Britain safe at a time of increased threats, able to fill multiple roles from providing air power anywhere at any time to fight future campaigns, supporting allies or delivering humanitarian aid."

When the Royal Navy’s two new Aircraft Carriers come into service (HMS Prince of Wales, as well as HMS Queen Elizabeth), this will mark the start of an exciting new era in naval warfare.

Wherever the carriers go, Fleet Air Arm helicopters will go with them.  RNAS Culdrose will have an essential role – without the air station, its aircraft, people and training facilities, these new ships will not be able to operate.

“HMS Queen Elizabeth is really important to RNAS Culdrose and we to her,” explains Commander Jason Phillips OBE, Commander Air or ‘Wings’ as he is known.

“As the home of Carrier Aviation, it was important that we played our part today, both through the official flypast but also through the Carrier’s official Squadron 820 NAS, whose Merlin helicopters were embarked on her flight deck.”

Advertisement
ODU RT

“Carrier Aviation is essential to the Royal Navy and RNAS Culdrose has a crucial role to play in training aircrew and flight deck crews, and providing aircraft to support operations.

“Flight decks are busy and dangerous places and everyone involved in aviation will have been through training here at Culdrose.”

Most deployments will have a mixed ‘air group’ of fixed and rotary wing aircraft to allow the ship to conduct a broad range of tasks and react to a changing environment.

The majority of the helicopters in an ‘air group’ will be drawn from Culdrose.  Providing aircraft and aviators is only the tip of the Culdrose carrier ‘iceberg’.

No aircraft will take off or land without the direct involvement of the air station.

Key to all flight deck movements will be a team of aircraft handlers who will be trained, as all handlers have been trained for more than half a century, at the (Culdrose based) Royal Navy School of Flight Deck Operations.

In order to prepare for flight deck movements on a much bigger scale, teams have been serving with US carriers for the past two years, gaining invaluable experience.

 

Advertisement
PTC PTC
GKN Aerospace secures Typhoon transparencies contract

Defence

GKN Aerospace secures Typhoon transparencies contract

10 July 2025

GKN Aerospace has has signed a six-year follow-on contract with BAE Systems for continued manufacture of Eurofighter Typhoon transparencies at its Luton facility, through to the end of 2030.

Metis to supply Skyperion to NATO ally

Defence Security

Metis to supply Skyperion to NATO ally

10 July 2025

Metis has won a contract to supply a number of Skyperion drone detection systems to a NATO customer to provide the drone detect function as part of an integrated Counter Uncrewed Air Systems (C-UAS) capability.

ALL.SPACE unveils Hydra MAX

Defence Space

ALL.SPACE unveils Hydra MAX

10 July 2025

ALL.SPACE has revealed a major advancement in mobile satellite communications with the successful demonstration of Hydra MAX - the first network independent terminal of its kind to deliver ultra wideband communications to multiple satellites simultaneously.

BAE Systems assessed

Defence

BAE Systems assessed 'Awardable' for US DoD work in P1 Solutions Marketplace

9 July 2025

BAE Systems in collaboration with Defense Unicorns, have announced that their joint solution has achieved 'Awardable' status for US Department of Defense (DoD) work through the US Platform One (P1) Solutions Marketplace.

Advertisement
DSEI 2025
Government unveils Team UK approach to defence

Defence

Government unveils Team UK approach to defence

8 July 2025

UK Government plans to deliver jobs across the country by unlocking the full economic potential of Britain's defence sector are being unveiled today.

Construction begins on SLA accommodation at RAF Cosford

Defence

Construction begins on SLA accommodation at RAF Cosford

8 July 2025

Construction has started on a new 50-bedroom Single Living Accommodation (SLA) block at RAF Cosford in Shropshire.

Advertisement
Gulfstream RT